Gratitude lists are talked about a lot now. But rarely are we shown how to write a meaningful one that works.

A gratitude list is a powerful thing. If you capture the things that you are grateful for and they have real meaning to you, it can help you build happiness and can be a source of comfort in difficult times. 

Have a go right now!

It helps if your list has a good variety of things and you understand why you are grateful for what you have written. A bit like ‘I’m grateful for x because it means ‘y’. You might need a few goes before you get the finished article, but along the way you are thinking in a grateful way and a positive way.

This is great because you are looking on the world as a good place.  And the even better news is when you look for the good, it lifts you and then you see and feel better. When you have a gratitude list you are happy with, don’t stick it in a cupboard. It’s a living document with a purpose. Stick in somewhere you can see it. Carry a pretty copy on you or in the car. Have it on your phone/computer/hairdryer/xbox.

So what makes a good gratitude list? 

Many people find it hard to write a gratitude list. Here are some examples to help you on your way:

• Clean water available everywhere I go. Water is the most beneficial drink for my mind and body and quenches my thirst.
• For being able to read so I can enjoy stories and information abundantly
• For the sun shining on my face and making me feel good
• For the rain that cleanses the earth and nourishes the plants and crops
• The kindness of people and the kindness they show me
• Trees for giving us oxygen
• Wind for flying kites and wind farms
• My sense of humour for seeing the funny side in most things
• My honesty which makes me a trusted person
• My baking skills which help me make lovely things for people
• Air for every wonderful breath
• Sleep for renewing my body and making me feel rested and ready for the day
• Chickens for laying eggs which make many nutritious meals
• Colours which light up my life and give me pleasure
• Light for bringing different dimensions to all I see
• The sea where I can swim, play and fish
• Animals for their cuteness, their comedy and their companionship
• My wobbly tummy for giving me babies
• Teachers of all sorts of lessons which have helped me grow, think differently and exercise in different ways
• Music for giving my ears pleasure and firing my emotions
• Food for the pleasure it gives and the nourishment it provides
• Campfires for their feeling of freedom and wilderness and not forgetting smores
• Touch so I feel my loved ones skin and stroke their hair
• Freezer for making ice cubes and my kettle for making cups of tea
• Yeast for making dough rise for bread
• My voice so I can read stories to my children and make people laugh
• My ears which let me hear the tone in someone’s voice which tells me how they feel and the waves crashing on the beach
• My nose to smell flowers and perfume and also smells to avoid
• My courage that gets me through difficult times

If you are stuck at what to put on your gratitude list, it might help to consider nature, animals, the human body or people.

The highest level of gratitude is the gratitude for existence itself.

A negative can make a positive

You can get things for your gratitude list from negative situations. This is called ‘reframing’. Basically finding the positive in a negative situation. Ebay do it beautifully when they say ‘you’ve won’ the item when you’ve bought it! But ‘winning’ is a feel good word.

You can find gratitude in most ‘life lessons’ for example if you don’t like someone’s behaviour, you can be grateful that you know how to behave better or that you have the freedom to not be around them.

What’s interesting about gratitude is that it is not about comparing yourself to those less fortunate. People often fall into this trap. Comparison can be a slippery slope to not feeling good enough, approach with caution. It won’t make you feel better to have something that someone else doesn’t have. Gratitude is about noticing and being grateful for things yourself.

Work with me

I’m a Hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner that specializes in helping people ‘reset’ in difficult times. We will work through confusion and find confidence and joy in your life. You can contactl me with any questions or for a free 20 minute consultation.

I offer freebies on my website, including a popular 21 Day Wellbeing Challenge, please come and help yourself.